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Text After lunch, Scrivener and Twilight returned to the library, and the two had just talked for a while, on all kinds of different topics. A few times, Scrivy tried to tell her that she could go about business as usual, but... Twilight seemed to honestly prefer spending the time with him, and he appreciated it more than he could say. Spike returned to the library sometime in the afternoon: a baby dragon, he was a chubby, cute little thing with mauve scales and a lime-green underbelly. His emerald eyes were large and expressive, and his nervousness was almost palpable as he looked awkwardly up at Scrivener and Scrivener looked meditatively back down at the dragon. "You're not really crazy, right?" was the only question Spike had a chance to ask before Twilight embarrassedly hustled him off to take care of some cataloging for her, and Scrivener had smiled despite himself before Twilight had come back with an apology. Scrivener insisted on following through with his plan of getting something nice for dinner, and Twilight relented after only a little badgering. Mostly, he thought, it was because she seemed surprised that he was doing so well, and enjoying the time spent outside, free... and the charcoal stallion was admittedly surprised himself at how well he was holding up. So the two ponies left to pick up food, and when they came back with all the junk food they could carry, Spike seemed to lose most of his apprehension for the large stallion. The three ate together, talking a little, letting Spike get a bit more used to Scrivener and giving Scrivener the chance to study Spike... who he'd known as an teenage dragon, not as a baby. After the meal, Spike and Twilight flitted around the library, preparing for the arrival of her friends as a worm of anxiety twisted through Scrivener's stomach, even as he poked through the shelves of the library until he found the manuscript he was looking for among the other archived papers. He looked thoughtfully down at it as he sat with it in his hooves, feeling the same nervousness as he always had when allowing other people to read his writing... and then he winced and jumped a bit when Twilight touched his shoulder. He turned to her, and she winced back a bit, looking embarrassed before he smiled lamely, shaking his head quickly. "Sorry. Guess I got lost in my own thoughts and... didn't hear you coming." Twilight nodded a bit, and then she smiled a little and nudged him quietly. "Well, come on, Scrivener, my friends are here. They're anxious to meet you." Scrivener smiled after a moment, then Twilight hesitated before her horn glowed and gently lifted the manuscript from his hooves, saying awkwardly: "Also, please do me a favor and don't be too much of a jerk, huh? And remember, these... they're not the same ponies you wrote about." "Well, they are but they aren't." Scrivener replied, but he nodded slowly all the same, turning to follow Twilight back to the main room. He paced behind her almost nervously as she carried the manuscript for him with telekinesis. Five ponies were waiting for them: Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. The last two Scrivener hadn't met yet in this world, and yet he recognized them easily all the same: the shy blonde Pegasus with her pink mane and sea-green eyes looked as humble and pretty as he remembered, and the beautiful ivory unicorn was, if anything, more flawless than he recalled, from her styled mauve mane and tail to her glimmering sapphire eyes. He studied the five of them, from their cutie marks to their faces, as they looked back at him, even as Twilight cleared her throat and announced almost shyly: "I know you've all been curious... so uh... here he is. This is my friend, my very good friend, Scrivener Blooms. He's going to be staying with me for a while, because..." She looked at him nervously, and Scrivener smiled a bit before he straightened a little, bowing his head forwards and reminding himself not to be too crazy, but to also try and be as honest as possible as he swallowed back both nervousness and a whisper of shame. "I was in a mental institution in Canterlot. I suffered a bit of a breakdown after... my wife died." "Oh, you poor thing!" Rarity leaned forwards as a murmur went through the ponies, the white unicorn studying him for a moment before her eyes widened. "That's why I thought I recognized you under all those awful scars! You were Princess Luna's fiance!" Scrivener nodded with a quiet laugh, feeling a tremble run through his mind that he did his best to ignore as he said softly: "Yeah. She was..." He halted, then cleared his throat and asked hurriedly: "So, odd question, but do any of you remember meeting me before? Rarity, I know we must have met, but... Fluttershy, do we know each other?" "I... no, I don't believe so..." Fluttershy murmured, shifting a bit so her long pink mane half-covered her face with a blush, likely only responding out of surprise. She studied him from behind her safe curtain of her mane, and then she smiled hesitantly as she rose her head a bit, saying quietly: "But I could be wrong, of course..." "Yeah, how do you know us all?" Rainbow Dash asked mildly, the Pegasus hovering in the air and looking a little suspicious before her eyes flicked to Twilight moodily. "And what's the story with you and him, anyway? And hey, what's that, that story you were talking about?" "Yes, it is." Scrivener said mildly, glancing up at Rainbow Dash and giving a slight smile. "It has all of you in it, actually, and it's one of... six?" "Yeah. Six." Twilight replied quietly, gazing across at Scrivener softly for a moment before she shook her head and gave a bit of a smile in return. "Although you should probably warn them that-" "Oh, no, no, it'll be fine. It'll be fine." Scrivener interrupted with a slight smile, waving a hoof airily, and Twilight Sparkle sighed and rolled her eyes even as she gave him an amused look. Rainbow was now looking more curious than before, however, before Scrivener said mildly, glancing up at her: "It's the second story in the series but... somehow, I think it's fitting you start with this one." "I don't trust you." Rainbow Dash said finally, even as she swooped forwards and snatched the manuscript from Twilight's telekinetic grip, looking down at it thoughtfully. "Lunar Lights. This better be good." Pinkie Pie smiled brightly, looking enthusiastically up at Rainbow Dash. "You'll have to tell me all about it! I wanna read it next if I'm in it, too! Imagine, having a story written about you... you could read about yourself doing all sorts of crazy things." "I already do all sorts of crazy things. And awesome things." Rainbow Dash said mildly, even as she flipped the manuscript open, and asked while she began to scan the page: "So like. You still haven't told me how you got all those scars. Were you like a soldier or something, is that how you met Luna?" "No, no, no... he was a scholar, isn't that right?" Rarity interjected, studying the earth pony stallion oddly intently, and Scrivener shifted a bit with a small smile. "Well, kind of. I was a scribe... I worked for Luna and that was how we met." Scrivener replied quietly, trying to stay away from specifics before he frowned a bit when Rarity stood suddenly. "Would you mind terribly standing up?" she asked, and Scrivener looked at her blankly before the white unicorn strode quickly forwards, and Scrivener staggered to his hooves more out of reflex than anything else as she briskly began to flit around him as the other ponies stared. "Yes, yes, I thought so! I may not remember each and every customer perfectly, but I remember that particular order I was working on for Princess Luna very well, and the sizes of clothing I made for you are completely different than what I estimate your sizes are now... my, you're much bigger than I recall!" "I work out?" Scrivener said lamely, and Rarity straightened and looked at him mildly as the charcoal stallion smiled awkwardly, feeling her judging him, a shiver running through his body... but at the same time, a strange kind of relief rising in his heart. So he was larger... so much so it was noticeable. Then Rarity hesitated for a moment before she straightened and looked at him softly, saying gently: "Perhaps this is improper, Scrivener Blooms, but if you would like to stop by my boutique, I would be very glad to take your new measurements and... finish the outfit I have sitting in storage for you. And... it may not be much, but... I would be very glad to let you have Princess Luna's dress. I don't know why I kept it and I don't know what you would do with it, but... perhaps you could find a place to keep it." Scrivener looked at her for a moment, and then he bowed his head and closed his eyes with a faint smile as the paranoia and anxiety were both washed away by honest, tender gratitude, murmuring: "I... I would like that a lot, Rarity. I... thank you." Rarity only smiled, then turned to head back and sit down again as there was quiet for a moment, before Applejack piped up curiously: "So uh, Scrivener... you gonna be living here long? You look like a good hard worker, though, don't expect you'll find it hard to get a job." "And hey, can we have a party now?" Pinkie Pie asked brightly, leaning forwards with a warm look at Scrivener. "'Cause I gotta welcome every new friend to Ponyville with a party, and it just doesn't feel right to delay a party, 'cause that's like delaying making a new friend and that's never right!" "Manic as ever." Scrivener murmured softly, but he was smiling all the same before he glanced over at Twilight as she gave him a nervous look. "Maybe tomorrow, Pinkie Pie. A small party." "Good.." Pinkie Pie said warmly, and then she leaned forwards and studied him almost intently. "You know, it's funny. You remind me of a dream I had once. Not a dream, really, more like a nightmare, but it wasn't a nightmare either, it was like Nightmare Night: scary but good. Do you know what I mean?" "I have those dreams all the time, Pinkamena." Scrivener said softly, and Pinkie Pie laughed as she straightened a little. "Pinkamena! No one calls me Pinkamena..." Pinkie Pie suddenly cocked her head quizzically. "Hey, wait, how'd you know that was my name?" Scrivener only shrugged and glanced at Twilight pointedly, and the violet unicorn shrugged back before half-reasoning: "I probably mentioned it at some point, that's all. But oh, I know. We have lots of leftovers from dinner, so I'll get Spike to help me bring some of that out... if that's okay, I mean." She looked at Scrivener softly, and the male nodded a little, smiling almost embarrassedly before the violet mare turned to head towards the corridor leading out of the main room. For a moment, Scrivy watched her leave... and then he was distracted as Rainbow scoffed loudly from above: "You can't do stuff like this. Luna wasn't like this... was she?" The pale-blue Pegasus softened visibly as she looked up from the manuscript in her front hooves at Scrivener, even as Applejack and Rarity both glared up at her, but Scrivener only smiled faintly as he looked up at the Pegasus mare and said gently: "She was my hero." This earned smiles from the mares... and Scrivener cleared his throat after a moment before he looked mildly up at Rainbow Dash, adding: "And besides. You haven't gotten to the fun part yet." Rainbow Dash only grunted, then she closed the manuscript and hugged it against her body, looking moodily down at him. "Well, I'll start reading later. But this better be good. And no offense, but you're no Daring Do." "I would hope not, I'm a stallion, after all." Scrivener remarked dryly, and Pinkie Pie giggled as Rainbow fixed him with a flat look before he drew his eyes over the five ponies, then asked impulsively: "So does anyone know about... Twilight visiting me?" "Kind of." Applejack answered, and when the other ponies looked at her, the earth pony mare hesitated before she asked quietly: "You were really in an asylum for two years?" Scrivener nodded slowly, glancing down and clearing his throat as he pawed a hoof at the floor. "Yeah, I... I was. Delusions, they tell me... believe in an entire world that was all inside my head, raving and ranting about it and unable to... connect to this reality. Being inside my own world, that entire time..." Scrivener smiled a bit. "That's... what they told me." "And what do you believe?" Fluttershy asked softly, clearly catching on to what the stallion wasn't saying, and Scrivener looked at her with surprise before she blushed and lowered her head. "I mean, you don't have to answer, but... I suppose I'm very curious. You sound... you're so..." She broke off, and Scrivener shrugged a bit, saying softly: "There's just... no point in hiding it. I get paranoid anyway from time-to-time and keeping the truth from ponies just... just makes them question me even more. What I believe is..." He hesitated, as all five ponies leaned towards him expectantly... but before he could answer, Spike toddled into the room, smiling and holding a large box of pizza out in front of him. Behind him, Twilight followed with glasses and bottles of cider, calling easily: "Come on, more than enough for everyone." "Hey, great!" Rainbow Dash flitted down with a wide grin as Pinkie Pie bounced cheerfully past Scrivener as well, and the stallion sighed in relief as he turned towards the food. As the ponies helped themselves to pizza and then the other snacks that Spike and Twilight retrieved, the conversation naturally shifted to lighter topics. They were curious, of course, about Scrivener's life behind padded walls... but their questions were so honest and almost naïve that he had little problem answering most of them, and Twilight seemed relieved to see this. Their visitors only stayed a few hours, then left almost as a group: surprisingly, it was Fluttershy who was the last to go. She lingered for a moment even after Rarity, who stayed to wish Scrivener well and remind him to come by her boutique when he had the chance. The blonde-coated Pegasus looked with quiet insistence at Scrivy, blushing a bit as he stepped in close to her and tilted his head, as Twilight stepped hesitantly backwards after a moment. For a few moments the Pegasus remained silent... and then she asked him quietly, closing her eyes: "Were you alone, when you were... in that world?" "No. No, I was..." Scrivener bowed his head forwards, closing his eyes. "I was the luckiest stallion in the whole world, whatever else it might have seemed like." Fluttershy was quiet for a few moments, then she nodded a little before turning and hurrying out, and Scrivener looked after her curiously before he sighed and shrugged a bit, stepping forwards to close the door. He turned around, then smiled a little when he saw Twilight gazing at him softly, saying after a moment. "I was... glad to see your friends. They're good ponies." "Yeah. They are." Twilight said softly, and then she smiled back at him, saying quietly: "I'll be back down in a few minutes, Scrivy. I'm just going to make sure Spike gets to bed okay." Scrivener nodded a little in return, and while the violet mare was gone, he busied himself by cleaning up the library. She returned just in time to find him pouring himself a new glass of cola, and then she smiled when he poured her one as well in a clean cup, joining him at the table as he said finally: "Thank you, for... you know. Everything. I guess you know I have my demons, huh?" "Yeah, I do. But we all do, Scrivener." Twilight said softly, looking down into the cola before she shook her head a bit when Scrivy glanced up at her. "You did really, really well today. I hope this doesn't come across as patronizing, but I'm proud of you." "Thanks, Twilight." Scrivener said softly, and the two sipped at their cola in silence for a few moments before the charcoal stallion asked finally: "So tomorrow..." "You have an appointment at the mental health clinic in Ponyville, to assess how you're settling in here. And next week, you have a visit to Canterlot to see a psychologist." Twilight replied, then she smiled. "But that's all. Otherwise, we can just take everything as it comes." She and Scrivener studied each other across the table, and then the charcoal stallion nodded slowly, glancing down and looking into his cola as he said softly: "I still felt... paranoid now and then tonight. I don't think they all liked me very much and I worry what they think of me, and... what they think of us." "Why... why do you worry about what they think about us?" Twilight asked slowly, looking strangely hurt, and Scrivener looked up at her dumbly. "What? I mean, here I am, after two, two and a half years of being locked away in a mental institution because I got unhinged when... when my wife..." Scrivener shook his head hurriedly, then continued wryly: "I just mean, I don't want them worrying I'm going to kill you in your sleep or something. Or that I'm abusing your trust and well-being." "Oh." Twilight blushed a little, playing a hoof over the tabletop before she smiled faintly across at him. "Scrivy, come on. You look scary, but... I don't think you made a bad impression tonight. And I've never seen Fluttershy take such an interest in a pony before..." "Yeah, what was with that?" Scrivener rubbed meditatively at his features, and when Twilight glanced away, the stallion looked up at her curiously before he frowned a bit. "What?" "Nothing." Twilight mumbled, and then she shook her head quickly, gulping down the rest of her cola before standing up from the table. "I'm going to go to bed, I think. We aren't all crazy night ponies like you, Scrivy, and... I think I can trust you to not... do anything silly. I can, right?" Scrivener nodded after a moment, saying softly: "Yeah, of course. I'll take my pills like a good little colt and maybe even try to get some rest for a few hours or something." The violet mare smiled a bit at him, hesitated... and then she stepped around the table and hugged him almost impulsively, and Scrivener was surprised, but quick to return the embrace as she buried her face against the side of his neck for a moment. A strong, intense feeling rose up through his being, reminded him of all the times he'd felt this: holding Twilight, holding Luna, features buried into his mane like it was now... and then Twilight pulled back, and Scrivener felt what could only be described as emptiness the moment contact was lost even as she smiled at him and said quietly: "I'll see you tomorrow, Scrivy. Have a good night." Twilight turned and hurried to the steps before Scrivener could speak, and the earth pony was left looking after her, still sitting back in his chair, front hooves half-raised as he sat alone in the room. Fullness... then emptiness. He closed his eyes, fighting off the feelings and resisting the urge to chase after Twilight: that would be a great demonstration of how sane he was, after all, chasing down the violet mare for another hug. He shook himself out, grimacing as he scrubbed his hooves against his face for a moment before sighing quietly and embracing himself, closing his eyes as he whispered: "These feelings can't be lies... these memories... Twilight... Luna..." Scrivener shivered for a moment, but then forced himself to still as he looked down at the table. Memories played through his mind, comparing themselves to the reality around him... and the charcoal stallion wondered silently if he really was insane for a moment... and if he wasn't, how he would ever manage to find his way back home. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story